We’re excited to announce the winners of the Joy Worldwide Inc. Photo and Video Contest! These stunning photos capture unique perspectives and unforgettable moments from our participants' study abroad journeys.
To dive deeper, we asked our winners two questions: What does your submitted photo or video represent to you? and How has your study abroad experience already impacted or changed you? Their answers revealed personal transformations, newfound perspectives, and unforgettable memories shaped by their experiences abroad.
1st Place : Zerykk Lee 2nd Place: Addy Lamaute 3rd Place: Ellis Terrett
What does your submitted photo or video represent to you?
Zerykk Lee: “My video represents the diaspora across continents. I'm so far away from home but I still have a similar schedule and connections that I would if I was to never left Alcorn! It represents how people are people no matter where they are in the world.”
Zerykk Lee A Day in My Life Abroad
Addy Lamaute: “My photos represent things that I would not have been able to otherwise. I used to tell myself that I wasn't missing out on traveling because I could just look at a photo, but being in person and capturing a moment to remember by rather than simply imagining what it would be like is a priceless experience that I'm so grateful for.”
Ellis Terrett: “From a philosophical point of view, I interpret my photo as representing the amount of knowledge I currently have and do not have. With the visible greenery representing what I do know, it does not compare to how much I want to know and do not know (represented by the silhouette of the trees along with the foggy background). On another note, my photo represents how much of the world I still have left to explore. With me standing on the smaller platform representing how much I have experienced already compared to the vast and foggy background representing how many cultures, languages, countries, and food I have yet to experience.”
How has your study abroad experience already impacted or changed you?
Zerykk Lee: “I have changed the way I think towards my education. My experience have taught me how to conduct independent study and improve previous study methods. While in class I think ahead of time as to how I will further explain the material to myself when I study independently.”
Addy Lamaute: “My study abroad experience has made me more confident and open-minded. Everyday I notice something that is done differently and I'm constantly meeting new people who I otherwise would have never crossed paths with. I feel like I've learned so much more about others and the world around me in just these three months than I have in my three years as an undergrad.”
Ellis Terrett: “Since I have started my study abroad experience, from applying to the program and scholarships to booking flights andarriving at my host destination, I have gained a lot of patience and understanding of being independent as a young adult. I feel a lot more inclined to take initiative in planning out the steps I need in order to reach goals in my life. Recently, I traveled to three different countries: Vietnam, South Korea, and China, which taught me to consider more intricate details such as weather, social norms, and prices when planning. Finally, I have developed a great appreciation and much respect for different cultures. Thailand has so much more to offer compared to what most people know about it from online. In all, the main ways I have grown since studying abroad are in being independent, patient, attentive, and open-minded.”